Kim Jong-un has been a military officer and leader of North Korea since December 17, 2011.
Biography
Born on January 8, 1983, in Pyongyang, capital of North Korea, Kim Jong-un is the third child of former Korean dictator Kim Jong-il (1942-2011). His mother was the Japanese ballerina Ko Young-hee (1953-2004) who would have been his father's great passion.
The information released about his life is scarce and lack of reliable sources to prove it.
From 1998 to 2001 (or 2000, according to some sources) he studied in the city of Bern, Switzerland, under a false identity. Kim Jong-un was said to be the son of a North Korean diplomat and there he developed a great passion for sports, especially basketball.
Upon returning to his native country he attended the Military Academy and the University. Official propaganda claims that he is an expert in artillery, a good soldier and is even capable of training pilots.
Kim Jong-un married Ri Sol-ju and the two are reportedly already having a daughter. She has already accompanied him in several official acts, which is seen as a good sign by those waiting for the opening of the country.
Rise to Power
Kim Jong-un was not considered his father's successor as he was not the eldest son. However, when his brother Kim Jong-nam was arrested trying to enter Japan on a fake passport, he falls out of favor in his father's eyes.
The other son was considered inept and only Kim Jong-un was left as an alternative. So, after suffering a first heart attack, father and son were seen together on visits to barracks, military maneuvers and official ceremonies.
In order to pave his way to the summit of power, Kim Jong-un is awarded the rank of four-star general. This decision would have displeased many veteran generals who were resentful of the sudden promotion of a young man under thirty to general.
Government
Political propaganda continues to treat him like a god. On television, the images of a smiling man, surrounded by the people, are multiplying, reviewing production, military installations, construction of houses and, above all, military training.
As soon as he came to power, he carried out a veritable purge by removing those generals loyal to his father. One of the victims was the uncle who would have been brutally killed in front of Kim Jong-un's allies.
Likewise, he is suspected to be behind the murder of his half-brother Kim Jong-nam while he was at the airport in Malaysia.
As for foreign policy, Kim Jong-un has launched rockets and made threats to US President Donald Trump, fueling a possible conflict between the United States and North Korea.
On his part, his younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, is trained to replace him in case of illness. In February 2018, she participated in the North Korean delegation that went to the Winter Olympics in South Korea.
On the occasion, she took an official invitation for the South Korean president to visit North Korea.
Possible Opening Signals
When he took power, Kim Jong-un announced in his first televised speech in April 2012 that the time had come for the North Korean people to enjoy the benefits of socialism.
To this end, he set in motion a program to send students abroad to study topics such as trade and the transition from a planned, socialist and closed economy to a market economy.
On the other hand, it admits the presence of tourists even if it is strictly controlled. Likewise, several foreign businessmen travel to the country to offer business opportunities.
Although most of the country's budget goes to the Armed Forces and its nuclear program, there are testimonies that guarantee that more resources are being allocated to agriculture and housing.
There is, however, no short-term political opening. North Koreans continue to be banned from leaving the country, any dissent is punishable by death or, at best, confined in "re-education camps".
Likewise, children, co-workers, young people, the elderly are constantly encouraged to watch over each other. Whistleblowing is seen as something positive and encouraged from early childhood.
Military Might
North Korea's military strength is hard to pin down. This is because there may be a discrepancy between the official data that tends to increase and what spies are able to assess.
It is estimated that the country has between 6 and 12 nuclear bombs and has an arsenal of biological, chemical and intercontinental missiles.
The Army is made up of 1 million soldiers and 6 million more in reserve in a population of 24 million people.
They are also a considerable digital power that has already carried out attacks on the South Korean financial system and American film studios.
End of Nuclear Tests
Since coming to power, Kim Jong-un has carried out several nuclear tests, all with intense press coverage and attention from Western countries.
However, in April, the leader announced that he would destroy one of the bases, as a gesture of goodwill and openness. The explosions were carried out on May 24, and were accompanied only by journalists and no experts in the field, which makes it difficult to assess whether the facilities were actually demolished.
Curiosities
- Big basketball fan, in 2013 King Jong-un invited former NBA player Dennis Rodman to visit the country. Since then, the athlete has made several trips to North Korea and played a basketball game against the local team.
- In North Korea, no one can have the same haircut as King Jong-un.
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- Cold War
- Korean War
- Asia
- History's Greatest Dictators